


Let It Breathe

by lallyloo



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Friendship, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:02:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28035099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lallyloo/pseuds/lallyloo
Summary: Link's new additions to the creative house are like a love letter to their friendship, and it finally opens their eyes to something they've both been avoiding for years.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 20
Kudos: 69





	Let It Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> A quick little thing I wrote for fanbabble.
> 
> Title and lyrics are from the song "Let It Breathe" by Water Liars.

_  
There's a room inside my heart that no one ever goes  
It's been boarded up and locked for years and everything is gone  
Then you come along and cut yourself a key  
Swept the floors and opened all the windows, said "baby let it breathe."  
_

  


When Link finally brings Rhett to the creative house to show him all the decorating he’s done, he’s a bit nervous about it. He did go a little overboard, and maybe it’s silly.

But Rhett never finds his preoccupations silly, not really. He might poke fun here and there, but there’s never any malice in his words.

And Link knows Rhett will be excited about it. It’s an ode to them, to _him_ , and with the size of Rhett’s ego Link is sure he’ll love it.

Link decorated and put in a new shelving unit, and he feels almost proud as he guides Rhett through the house and shows him all the fine details.

He’s displayed trinkets, and souvenirs, and gifts from fans. There are framed photos and drawers full of things. 

Old concert tickets and backstage passes.

Notes and letters and pictures. 

The cassette tape from when they were young, with their little voices on it.

The Merle tape Rhett made for him when they were teenagers.

A photo of them at the zoo.  
A photo when they graduated from high school.  
A photo of them outside their dorm room.  
A photo at the Lillington studio.  
Photos of them at the GMM desk.  
The two of them in suits.  
The two of them on vacation.  
A few of the photos Rhett took of Link sleeping on planes, on buses, wherever.  
Selfies Rhett took with Link in the background, always posed just right, the camera held to capture them both.

Together. Memories.

It’s like a love letter from Link to them.  
To their friendship.  
To their relationship.  
To Rhett.

Rhett holds onto the last framed photo, a candid one someone took when they didn’t realize it. Smiles plastered to their faces, their eyes locked on each other as if no one else mattered. As if no one else existed. Just the two of them.

“God, Link..” Rhett stammers, “I don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, brother,” Link replies, his voice barely above a whisper.

But they both know Rhett should. There’s so much unsaid between them, there always has been and now, maybe without realizing it, Link has called it out, shined a light on it and said ‘ _look_ ’.

‘ _Look here_.’

‘ _You’re missing something_.’

And Rhett knows. He’s known for a long time.

They’ve both tried to push it down, hide it away, a piece in Rhett’s heart and a piece in Link’s, kept separate and quiet because if they let it out and piece it together it’ll become something bigger than the both of them. Something they won’t be able to hide away any longer.

They both hear the break in Rhett’s voice as he speaks.

“Link.”

It’s a word. A name. So simple. But to Rhett it’s the greatest word he knows. It encapsulates everything. It’s friendship and support and understanding. It’s laughter. It’s being young and growing old. It’s trust. It’s love.

“Oh god..” Rhett whispers, and his heart feels heavy in his chest. “Link.”

Link just nods worriedly, because he knows too and Rhett’s name means all those things to him.

“We’re so stupid,” Rhett says quietly.

“Yeah.”

Rhett can only stare, shaking his head, wondering how he could’ve been so blind for so long. So many years wasted, and for what? He’s not even sure now because it all seems so obvious. So easy.

Link watches, waiting, terrified because there are things he’s wanted, things he never let himself think about or have, and now it seems like he’s unwittingly thrown himself headlong into it. As if he’s set his still-beating heart in Rhett’s hands and he’s waiting to see if Rhett will break it.

But Link knows Rhett will never break it. Rhett will hold it and keep it like a precious thing, rip his own heart from his chest and put Link’s there if he has to, just to keep it warm and beating.

“Let me love you.”

It’s Rhett’s voice. Rhett’s words.

And he’s stepping forward and closing the gap between them, a strong hand settling on Link’s hip, another on his cheek, his soft gaze settling on Link, their breath mingling as they both take a step. A jump. Finally being brave.

And then they’re tumbling together.

Rhett’s body is strong and warm, and he covers Link over as he fucks into him slow and deep.

His whispered words fall on Link’s skin.

“I love you.” 

He tells it to Link’s shoulder, speaks it to his collarbone, and kisses it over his adam’s apple.

“I love you.”

The words slip wet across Link’s jaw.

“I love you.”

They settle warm into the curve of his neck.

“For all these years, Link, it’s been you. I’ve loved you for so long.”

Link can only nod and answer with his tears, too overwhelmed to reply.

Rhett kisses them away, holding Link to him as he grasps and clings and holds tight to anything Rhett will give him. Every word, every kiss, every thrust, every _want_ he’s had over all these years. Things he’s never voiced. Things he’s never even dared to hope for.

All these things Rhett is giving to him now and Link can’t bring himself to do anything but cry for it. He wants every touch, every press of Rhett’s hand, and every kiss from his mouth tattooed on his skin, marking him forever. He wants to take in Rhett’s words and attach them to his heart, willing to die before he ever lets them go.

“Link, I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Rhett speaks the words as if he doesn’t want them to ever go unsaid again.

And when they come together, falling over the edge, their bodies bound as one, Link finally manages to meet him, matching Rhett’s words with words of his own.

“I love you, Rhett. Forever. I promise, I’ll love you forever.”

And Rhett kisses over him. Placing his lips to Link’s cheeks, his eyes, his forehead, and down to meet his mouth, drinking in every breath of him.

“I love you too. Forever.”

_  
When I wake in the morning will you kiss my face  
with a smile no one has ever seen  
When I wake in the morning will you kiss my eyes  
and say "It's you I have loved all these years. It is you I've loved all these years.”  
_


End file.
